His Best Days
by FiniteIncanFandom
Summary: We know how they came to be friends, and how it all ended so fast. But what about the few precious days that Severus didn't share with Harry in the pensieve? This tale is sandwiched between the memories shared in Deathly Hallows and the view that Harry stole in Order of the Phoenix, and including altered extracts from the writings of J.K Rowling from Severus Snape's point of view.
1. The First Day

It was a typically bright summer's day in Cokeworth with only a single, huge, chimney dominating the distant skyline.  
In an uncharacteristically deserted playground two girls were playing on the swings, and he was watching them. His black hair was overlong and his clothes were so mismatched that it looked deliberate: too short jeans, a shabby, overlarge coat that might have belonged to a grown man, an odd smocklike shirt. Severus Snape was nine and a half years old, and sat behind a clump of bushes. He was sallow, small, and stringy. There was undisguised greed in his thin face as he watched the younger of the two girls swinging higher and higher than her sister. He found her pendulum-like movement almost hypnotic, not unlike most things she did.

"Lily, don't do it!" shrieked the elder of the two.

But the girl had let go of the swing at the very height of its arc and ﬂown into the air, quite literally ﬂown. She launched herself skyward with a great shout of laughter, and instead of crumpling on the playground asphalt, she soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly. Her crimson hair, glowing in the sunlight, floated around her form in the air and fell daintily around her shoulders as she landed, as if she was suspended under water.

"Mummy told you not to!" shrieked her sister fearfully.

Petunia stopped her swing by dragging the heels of her sandals on the ground, making a crunching, grinding sound, then leapt up, hands on hips. She looked so pompous, she always had an air of being better than everyone and everything around her, but she was nothing compared to her sister. Lily Evans.

"Mummy said you weren't allowed, Lily!" Petunia repeated, but Lily maintained the same pensive look.

"But I'm ﬁne," said Lily, still giggling. "Tuney, look at this. Watch what I can do." She said as though to reassure her sister.

Petunia glanced around apprehensively. The playground was deserted apart from themselves and, though the girls did not know it, Severus. He continued to watch them with an eager smile spreading across his face in anticipation. He loved to watch her do magic, she was already so talented for a young witch and she didn't even know what she was, never mind what she was capable of. He could change that for her.  
Lily approached the bush behind which Severus lurked and picked up a fallen ﬂower from the ground.  
He held his breath, and froze, desperate not to be discovered. Not yet. He'd been watching her for a while now, waiting for the right moment to appear and this wasn't it. Their eyes met through the leaves, and his heart leapt, but she looked right through him. In the midst of his relief he felt a slight disappointment. Everyone looked right through him. She turned away from the bush and Severus began to breathe again, exhaling slowly and carefully.Petunia advanced on Lily, evidently torn between curiosity and disapproval, and Severus shifted backwards further out of view. Lily waited until her sister was near enough to have a clear view, and then held out her palm. The ﬂower sat there, opening and closing its petals, like some bizarre, many-lipped oyster.

"Stop it!" shrieked Petunia.

"It's not hurting you," said Lily, evidently disappointed that her sister was not as impressed as she had thought she would be. She closed her hand on the blossom and threw it back to the ground in annoyance.

"It's not right," said Petunia with an air of accusation in her voice, but her eyes had followed the ﬂower's ﬂight to the ground and lingered upon it. "How do you do it?" she added, and there was deﬁnite longing in her voice.

This was the moment.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Severus could no longer contain himself, and jumped out from behind the bushes, a little too enthusiastically he thought in hindsight.

Petunia shrieked and ran backward toward the swings, but Lily, though clearly startled, remained where she was. Severus instantly began to regret his appearance, and a dull ﬂush of colour mounted his sallow cheeks as he looked at Lily. His mind went almost blank but her radiating confidence and intrigue invited him to continue.

"What's obvious?" asked Lily, almost smiling.

Severus had an air of nervous excitement. Her half-smile had cut through his nerves. He had waited for this very second for so long – 'don't mess this up' sneered the voice in his head. With a glance at the distant Petunia, now hovering beside the swings. He smiled his greedy smile, lowered his voice and said,

"I know what you are."

"What do you mean?"

"You're...you're a witch," whispered Severus his smile expanding and as the world rolled off his tongue.

He felt weeks of planning pass over his lips, and a massive weight lift off his shoulders. This was where she would smile back, and ask _"Really?"_ with an unmistakable glimmer of excitement in her liquid emerald eyes as she realised her life of mundane normality was over. He would of course reassure her, and share that he also had powers beyond those of mere muggles. He'd not factored Petunia into this conversation, as he assumed she would be silenced by her jealousy, leaving him and Lily to talk, laugh and be happy. Finally he would have a friend who could understand him, and she a friend who already understood her more than anyone else she knew.  
But to his dismay she looked affronted.

"That's not a very nice thing to say to somebody!"

She informed him as she turned, nose in the air, and marched off toward her sister.

"No!" said Severus, more to himself than to Lily.

He was highly coloured now,he hadn't seen this coming. He ﬂapped after the girls, looking ludicrously bat-like. The sisters considered him, united in disapproval, both holding on to one of the swing poles, as though it was the safe place in tag.  
He was used to being looked down on, but not like this.

"You are," said Severus, a little more nervously, and desperately. "You are a witch. I've been watching you for a while. But there's nothing wrong with that. My mum's one, and I'm a wizard." Lily's expression lightened, just enough for Severus to know that he'd been heard.

It was all starting to fall back into place. His panic began to lift until Petunia's laugh hit him, like cold wateron his flushed face, washing away his glimmer of hope.

"Wizard!" she shrieked, her courage seemed to have returned now that she had finally recovered from the shock of his unexpected appearance. "I know who you are. You're that Snape boy! They live down Spinner's End by the river," she told Lily, Severus could feel the raw judgement in her tone.

"Why have you been spying on us?"

"Haven't been spying," mumbled Severus, hot and uncomfortable,suddenly aware of his dirty hair in the bright sunlight.

Spying. What an ugly word... He had merely been observing her, waiting until she began to question her abilities, her normality. As every muggleborn eventually would. Petunia was clearly just jealous of Lily. Lily had extraordinary talents, even for a witch, whereas she was just.. Just EXTRA-ordinary.

"Wouldn't spy on _you_, anyway," he added spitefully, "you're a Muggle."

The look on Petunias face lifted Severus's sunken spirits; evidently shedid not understand the word, but she could not mistake the tone as he reflected the judgement in her own.

"Lily, come on, we're leaving!" she said shrilly.

Lily obeyed her sister at once, glaring at Severus as she left. Though she looked him up and down, as if still trying to read him. He stood watching them as they marched through the playground gate.In that instance, as the gate slammed shut behind them, his cheeks were no longer flushed. In fact his whole body fell rather cold. Severus recognised this feeling, intense and bitter disappointment. He had been planning this moment for so long, and this was not how it was supposed to happen. How had it all gone so wrong?...  
Unlike them he stayed, standing, swaying on the same swing on which moments ago she had sat. He was a fool to think that she would want to befriend him – that she would even believe him. He didn't need anyone anyway, he was just fine alone. An unusually icy summer's breeze heaved through the park, unusually fast. Maybe.. Maybe he should be heading home, it would be dark soon and he didn't want to be locked out for the night again, as comforting as the isolation the night had to offer was. He launched himself skyward with great ease and soared like a trapeze artist through the air, staying up far too long, landing far too lightly. It was a short walk home that night, and the house was silent and still when he arrived.


	2. The Next Day

"OH SHUT UP TOBIAS!" A cold female voice voice rang through the house as if it was enchanted.

"I didn't say anything!" Severus' father replied, he too was shouting.

"No, you're just sat there, mumbling." Eileen sniped sarcastically, "I'm so fed up of you muttering under your breath. If you have something to say then why don't you just say it?" She hissed as a shopping list flew from cupboard to cupboard while a quill took note of the missing items.

"I'm not-"

"I'm going out, I'll be back later. Take care of my son while I'm out." She interrupted as if he hadn't been speaking. Her tone was demanding, but not cruel, and the lack of resistance from Tobias highlighted that this was merely part of an ongoing argument. Severus tried to stay out of it, but it wasn't that easy.

Every morning while he ate his breakfast his mother would tell him how narrow-minded his father was, how he used to be more fun when they first met and of course she would share tales of the selfish and spiteful things he had done in the days before. Then every evening his father would come home from work just after his mother had left for what she told him was a knitting circle (she instead met with the local witches and no doubt spat more venom about her husband) and proceed to rant on about how much simpler life was before he met her, how she was incapable of doing anything without using her magic and how she never did anything useful.  
Downstairs the door slammed into the wall as Eileen swung it open.  
"After all I do everything else." She mumbled barely audibly as she swept her dark hair from her thin face and stormed out of the door.

There was a haunting silence in the house after she left. At first Severus just lay there in bed, but he soon realised he couldn't stay there all day. He cleaned his room, got dressed and went downstairs to find his father on his knees in the kitchen practically growling to himself. He pulled his head out from the depths of a kitchen cupboard, looked up and tried to smile convincingly as Severus walked in. Tobias looked like an older, greyer version of his son, with the same hooked nose, sunken cheeks and greasy dark hair. He was fairly well-presented, unlike Severus, with roughly ironed and coordinated clothes. Though the creases in his trouser legs were just off centre, which combined with his tall, thin figure made him look a little crooked.

"Morning, your mum's-" his father started as Severus entered the kitchen.

"Yeah I know."

"Alright then, best get some food." He sighed and continued to rummage through the kitchen cupboards and drawers.

Severus wandered into the living room. The walls of their house were an unpleasant shade of eggshell blue that had faded to almost grey over the years and clashed horribly with their tattered beige sofa and chairs which had very obvious patches sewn on in various shades of brown. There were clothes, dirty and clean, strewn all over the furniture and floor where no-one had bothered to put them away. Used plates and mugs littered every flat surface and the ripped, discoloured curtains were drawn to shut out the rest of the world. This may have been their house, but it was no home. Most of the house could be easily cleaned with a little magic, even Severus knew that, but his father would have none of it.

"Damnit Eileen!" Roared his father's voice from the kitchen.

Severus collapsed on the sofa next to a torn pillow and lay his head on the back of the seat putting his head at almost 90 degrees and screwing up his eyes until he could see little stars dancing in the darkness.

"Where does that damned woman put everything?" his father growled.

Severus sighed heavily as the banging and crashing from the kitchen grew louder and his father began swearing loudly. Severus rose to his feet, slowly and effortlessly and strode past the kitchen and out of the back door.

"I'm not hungry father. I'm going to the park." He called as he left.

His parents had been arguing a lot more recently. Not just about magic anymore either, although it had been steadily getting worse as Severus got older and more capable to control his talents. The reality of Severus' inevitable future was slowly dawning on his father, he could no longer ignore the fact that his son was a wizard. Severus believed that their main issue was communication – or lack of it. He just kept his head down, and spent most days out at the park from the moment he was dressed until it was time to head back for dinner. He couldn't bear listening to each of his parents arguments.

He spent each day simply sitting, waiting behind that same flower bush. Though what he was waiting for he wasn't quite sure, Lily had made her intentions painfully clear. Due to this inarguable fact, and his dulled sense of rationalism, Severus had decided that he was not waiting.

He was merely escaping.

It was peaceful, and most days he would simply toy with the fallen flowers behind the bush. Perching them delicately in the palm of his hand he would cause them to open and close repeatedly, just as she had done. It was truly astonishing to him how such a commonplace piece of magic had entertained her. Of course _he_ could do it with ease, on particularly slow days he would cause a multitude of these flowers to whorl around above his collapsed form.

Open and close.  
Open and close.

He knew he could show her so much more, more wonders than he was sure she could ever imagine.

The days were getting hotter, and he found sanctuary in the shade of the bush that he had claimed as his own, without notice or dispute from the rest of the world.  
One particularly hot day, as he lay within the cover of his now homely bush watching a single, bright flower rotate slowly he began thinking; maybe she would come back, maybe she would realise the error of her ways. She had acted very irrationally after all.. He had only tried to help her understand herself, to let her know that she wasn't some freak of nature.

She wasn't alone, he wasn't alone.

Her and her sister had made a fool of him, acted as though he had insulted them – well he had insulted that unbearable Petunia girl. He felt no regret of that, but Lily should have been pleased! Instead she had been utterly ungrateful, disrespectful and downright rude to him. Of course he would tell her all of this when he saw her again – if he saw her again. He closed his eyes and let the gentle summer's breeze envelop him, he was just beginning to drop odd when a shrill voice slashed through the warm summer's air.

"Lily! LILY! Wait for me!"

Before he knew it Severus was up on his knees, with his pale face brushing the leaves and his dark eyes desperately searching the landscape for that familiar glimmer of red. It was only at that very moment, as his eyes began to focus, that he realised just how busy the park had gotten today. It was as though the world had been un-muted. The delighted screams and laughter of children filled the air while what felt like hundreds of figures danced around the playground.

"C'mon Tuney! Keep up!" giggled a familiar, sweet and satisfying voice.

There was no chance that he could spot her in this crowd, even with her distinctive dark red hair. He couldn't even tell what direction her voice was coming from through all this commotion. Once he had resigned to this fact Severus slumped, sulkily sitting with his back against the bush, fiercely trying to once again drown out the sound of the commotion behind him.

Maybe he should just go home. What was he even doing here? He could hardly confront her today at any rate, not with all of these people around. It had been bad enough when it was just her sister who was there. He didn't think he could handle the ridicule of all of those children. He looked solemnly down at his once again mismatched clothes, he couldn't even bare to be seen by them like this, never mind speak his thoughts to Lily – not in front of all those _muggles_.

Why had he ever thought that she would be any different, anymore understanding than any one of them? She practically was one of _them_ after all. She'd find out soon enough, when her letter came, then she'd be sorry. Sorry for how unreasonably she had acted, sorry for how she had treated him. How she looked at him.  
When she came to him wanting answers, needing him, maybe just maybe he wouldn't be there. Maybe he'd just look at her like she was crazy, and walk away with his head held high. Maybe-

"Hey" came a hushed whisper.

Was that? No- he looked around, he was totally alone. As usual. He laughed at his own foolishness. Merlin's beard he hoped he wasn't going to start hearing voices. He can't be crazy. No he isn't crazy. It must have just been th-

"Hey! I know you're there." That time he was sure he had heard it, sweet and faint. But it was there, and familiar.

"L-Lily?" He asked quietly, surely he wasn't crazy.

"Of course, silly" she said with a giggle, a little too light-heartedly for his liking.

He spun around on the spot desperately searching for a glimpse of her auburn hair, any sign of her. To his dismay he was surrounded by the same solitary landscape he saw every day. How dare she come to him after what she did? How dare she disturb his peace, all to mock him again? Her amusement caused resentment to surge through his body. Now was his chance to tell her how foolish she was, how much he hated the way she had looked through him with her deep emerald eyes.

How insane the sound of her stupid, girlish laughter made him feel.

How her voice was like melted caramel and made his stomach feel like it was full of chocolate frogs – No, he was upset with her and he would let her know. She was no different to them. His cheeks began to glow once again.

"Oh.. Hey" rumbled his feeble voice. Though he wasn't quite sure where it had come from.  
No! That wasn't right, he was supposed to be making her feel as small as they'd made him feel.  
"What do you want?!" he snapped suddenly. Great now he did sound crazy.

"I'm sorry fo-"

"Don't be sorry you're not disturbing me. I'm sorry for snapping." No he wasn't.. Why should he be sorry, SHE had disturbed HIM.  
Why had he said that?

"No. I mean, I'm sorry about how me and Petunia acted last time I saw you"

Of course! Of course that's what she meant. He should have let her finish, she had realised that she'd been foolish, just as he had predicted. Though now he looked like the fool. He was a fool.

"Oh right, erm, yeah sure."  
'Ugh you sound so pathetic' sneered his subconscious. 'Tell her! Tell her that it's still not okay. Tell her how unreasonable she was.' But he couldn't stand the thought of upsetting her again.

"Wait. Wh-where are you?" That was a start. He finally felt he was regaining a little control over his own words.

"I'm right behind you Severus."

When she said his name, the rest of the world felt so far away. He felt his cheeks flush brighter and his throat constrict. He liked the way his name sounded when she said it.

"That is your name right?"

"Erm..." his voice was croaking, and cracking. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, I- Yeah that's my name"

Her silky laughter cut through the air.

"Are you sure? You don't sound very sure.." She was smiling, he could hear it. If he closed his eyes he could see it too. "Anyway, I just came to let you know we're sorry." She chimed cheerfully before he had chance to reply. At the recollection of the last time they met he felt a flush of anger once again.

"If _Tuney_ is so sorry then why isn't she here too, any why are you hiding that you're talking to me?" he spat.

"Okay. _I'm_ sorry. But I'm sure I'm sorry enough for both of us. Anyway, you're the one that's hiding." She justified. He could feel her tone dropping, her smile fading, he shouldn't care. No he didn't care.

"Well?.."

"Well what?" He asked, confused but still trying to sound stern. He'd just regained control of himself and he wasn't willing to lose it now.

"Apology accepted?" She hesitated.

'Right, of course.' He thought,

"Yeah, sure. I forgive _you_." He replied hastily, but making sure to add emphasis, he had no reason, no intention of forgiving her muggle sister. But Lily was special, like him.

"Good." Her reply sounded strained, as if it was fading.

He spun around as quickly as he could, catching his face on a branch as he did. But she was gone, or.. Had she ever been there? Or was this heat truly driving him crazy?


End file.
